


Beyond the veil

by Whisperswrites



Category: Big Bang (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-09-27 12:39:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17162150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whisperswrites/pseuds/Whisperswrites
Summary: (Cross posting from tumblr)It's a work in progres, so I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, but most likely 10 or more.A woman starts working for an eccentric art-dealer, and stumbles into a web of secrets that she could never have imagined. About life, death, and some things in between. The ending is sad





	1. Chapter 1

This part of your story started, as stories much too often do, with a man.

The first time you saw him was a dreary overcast day just around noon. You were working, and just happened to look out the big window towards the street, as he passed by. He was wearing a dark suit. His large almond shaped eyes were almost as dark as his neatly styled black hair.

Time stood still, as you noticed every detail about him. How could you not? He was the single most extraordinary looking man you had ever come across. He was quite tall, but his stature and looming presence made him look even taller. A sharp chiselled jaw, and thick eyebrows. He looked as if he had just walked off the set of a film noir.

Then he smiled. Not a friendly smile, just the lazy turning up of one side of his mouth, acknowledging you. He looked towards the door, but didn’t enter, took a puff of the cigarette he was holding, let out a small cloud, his eyes still locked on you. Then he turned and continued walking, as if the moment between you had never happened.

Little did you know then, that he was one of the men that would change your life forever.

It was hours later, and all thoughts of the mysterious stranger had left your mind, by the time you were closing up shop. It was the last time you turned the familiar key. You looked through the windows at the darkened coffee shop inside. It felt surreal, and impossibly sad. In just a few days, the place you had worked in and loved for the last couple of years would be gone.

It would be open tomorrow as well, but your last shift had been today. The small quaint coffee shop had been struggling for a while, but it had still been a shock when the owner had told all the employees that the building had been sold. Some big corporation had given him an offer he couldn’t afford to refuse, up to his neck in debt as he was.

What would become of the building, if it would be made into something new, or be torn down was too early to tell. All you knew was that there wouldn’t be a coffee shop any more, and that none of the employees were being kept on.

The dull light of a street lamp superimposed your reflection onto the barely visible tables, and chairs filling the darkened room on the other side of the window. You couldn’t believe that this was the end. This had been more than just a workplace for you. It held so many memories, and strange little anecdotes.

Some of your co-workers had become dear friends, some you wouldn’t mind getting away from, yet for better or worse, they had all left their own little marks on you. In return, you were sure you had made your own impression as well.

The demise of the coffee shop had happened so fast that you had barely had time to look for a new job before it closed. You hadn’t been called in for any interviews, so you would have to start looking as soon as possible. On Tuesday, you told yourself. Tomorrow was Sunday, and you had plans to go out with your colleagues for a goodbye drink, Monday would be your day off, to relax, and try to get to grips with your new reality.

As you started the walk home, it began to rain. Just a gentle drizzle, surprisingly well suited for the evening’s mood.

You were so deep in thought, that you could barely remember most of the walk home. It wasn’t until you were standing in the hallway of your apartment, that you even noticed how wet your hair had gotten. The coat you were wearing had kept the rest of you mostly dry, but it didn’t have a hood, and you hadn’t brought an umbrella when you left in the morning.

A quick meal and a shower later, and you headed straight to bed.

The following couple of months proved that getting a new job wasn’t as easy as you had hoped. You lost count of the number of applications you sent, and yet there was scarcely any response.

Things were starting to look bleak financially, when a hint of a possible solution finally surfaced from the sea of emails and applications. You had just gotten up, and started making breakfast, about to steel yourself for another day of the seemingly endless search. If you didn’t land a job soon, you would have trouble making rent.

When the phone suddenly started ringing, you jumped and almost dropped your cup of coffee. How you managed not to knock something over in your scramble to pick it up, was beyond you. “Hello.” The breathy high pitched tone of your voice surprised even you, and you had to take a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves.

“Hello.” A soft female voice filled your ear. “Is this ________?” It turned out she was calling from a placement agency. They had taken a look at the CV you sent them, and wanted to bring you in for an interview.

You jumped at the opportunity, and arranged to meet with them a couple of days later.

Time moved way too fast, and before you knew it, you were walking out of the office, in your carefully chosen outfit, hoping you had somehow made a good impression. There had been a lot of forms to fill in, and an interview. Even though you had tried your best, you weren’t sure how well you had done, but you supposed all you could do now was wait.

You wanted to reward yourself after all the effort, but being almost out of money, there was no fancy coffee or slice of cake in your future. You did, however, stop at the grocery store on the way home to get some cheap celebratory biscuits.

Just a few days later, the agency called you again. They wanted you to come in for a new meeting. The office would close in not too long, and you were still in your pyjamas in front of your computer. There was no way you would be able to make it there in time, so you arranged to go there first thing the next morning. That, of course, lead to a restless night. So many thoughts were running through your mind. Was something wrong? Did they need another meeting to find out more information about you? Could they have gotten you an interview already?

When the alarm went off, you were already out of bed. You had woken up scared that you had forgotten to put on the alarm, ten minutes before it was due, so you decided there was no use going back to sleep to catch those few minutes.

Your heart was pounding the whole time on your way to the agency. The receptionist sent you to an office, where you met with one of the recruiters who had seen you last time.

“Hello.” She smiled, and gesture towards a chair. “Please have a seat.”

You nodded, your entire stomach filled with too many bouncing balls for you to say anything other than. “Thank you.”

Without further ado, she went straight to business. “We have found a position for you. All you need is to fill in some paperwork, and you can start on Monday.”

“What?” You were completely gobsmacked. “No interviews?”

“Oh no.” She sent you a mild smile. “This client has authorised us to hire someone on his behalf. He’s a very busy person, and he values his time too much to personally interview candidates.”

“Ok?” It all sounded a little odd, but you knew that the recruitment company was reputable, so you reassured yourself that they must know what they were doing. “What kind of work is it? And who’s the employer?”

“The employer is an art dealer. The position is as a personal assistant. It basically involves doing anything he needs done, being his secretary, running errands, some cleaning, whatever comes up during the day. You’ll be expected to work normal daytime hours, plus some occasional overtime, and you’ll have the weekends off.”

“That sounds fair.” You nodded.

She opened one of the drawers of her desk, and pulled out a file. She slid it across the table towards you. “Please read through this. I’ll be back in a few minutes, do let me know if you have any concerns.”

You nodded. “Thank you.” The contracts were quite straight forward, work hours, conditions, and a confidentiality agreement concerning the artworks passing through the office. The period you would be hired for was a year, with the possibility for a renewal of the contract, and there was a month trial period in which both parties could cancel the contract. What really caught your attention though, was the pay. It was over twice as much an hour as your old job at the coffee house, in addition to overtime if you worked evenings or weekends. Could this be right?

By the time you had finished reading through everything, the recruiter was back. “Any questions?” She asked with a smile.

“This.” You pointed at the sum you would be paid. “Are you sure there’s not a typo here?” You still weren’t sure how you, without any specific qualifications, or experience as a personal assistant would be worth that amount.

“It should be right, I checked everything before you came.” She stopped for a moment before she continued, looked across your shoulder, as if to make sure that no one was looking your way, before she continued in a hushed tone. “I have to warn you though, he’s not an easy boss to work for. I suppose that’s why he pays so well, and why most people don’t last past the trial period.”

Her words got you thinking. You hoped he wasn’t some kind of creeper, or pervert. You were prepared to work hard, but there was no way you were going to put up with some kind of sexist pig all day every day.

“Nothing inappropriate, of course.” She ensured you, before you even had the time to mention your worries. “He’s just a little out of the ordinary that’s all. You know these artsy types.” She sent you a reassuring smile.

In the end, you chose to give the job a chance. You might surprise everyone and get along with this guy, or worst case scenario, you could just quit.

Monday morning, you were wandering the streets of a part of town you didn’t know very well. According to maps, the address you were looking for was a few minutes walk away from the subway stop.

You had tried googling both your new boss and the address, but not a lot had come up. You wondered how someone this mysterious could make a business selling art, but maybe his reputation travelled by word of mouth, in social circles far above your own. The only way to figure it out, was to go in with an open mind. The agency had vouched for him, except for the warning about his eccentricities, so you supposed his business must be running somehow.

You stopped in a narrow alley between two high-rise buildings, uncertain of where it could lead. If you hadn’t had the app open, telling you to go in, you never would have done it. In that moment, being, or getting lost seemed like a distinct possibility. A sharp turn, and a few meters further in, though, you found your destination. It was an old brick building, three stories tall, hidden in the shadows of looming high-rises all around. In the jungle of concrete, steel and glass that surrounded it, the house looked like it had been forgotten by time, hidden away in its own little bubble.

There were no signs on the outside, no indication that it was the workplace of an art-dealer. The recruiter had told you he was a little out of the ordinary though, so maybe this was the way he liked it. You walked closer, still not entirely convinced that you were in the right place. Even as you reached the door, there was no name, or title. Even the grey mailbox beside the door bore no inscription except for the house number.

The door was old, the top half of it had a narrow panel of glass running along the middle. On the top and bottom of the glass, there was scrollwork, it was ridged throughout the rest so all that was visible through it was colours. All you saw now was black. Was there no one there to meet you?

You were about to lift your hand to ring the bell, when the door opened. You jumped. The entire time you had stood outside you had failed to notice the man standing on the other side of the door. Or had he appeared out of the shadows without you noticing? An eerie feeling sent a shiver down your back. Something you couldn’t quite point out before it was gone again.

He was nothing like you had imagined your new boss would be. What had come to mind when you were told that he was an art-dealer was an elderly man, possibly of the strict grandpa variety, grey hair, horn rimmed glasses. This guy was much taller than you had imagined, and about 30 years younger, but the authoritative way in which he carried himself made it clear that this had to be him. You instantly recognised him as the man you had noticed on the street, back before your old job closed down. With a face like that, you would have recognised him anywhere.

“Hello.” His voice was deep and rich, like expensive dark coffee. “You must be _________.”

“I am.”

“Pleased to meet you.” He held out a large hand. “I’m Choi Seunghyun, but you may call me Seunghyun.”


	2. Chapter 2

After you started working for Seunghyun, it didn’t take long for you to start discovering some of his quirks. It started out with the ever expanding list of rules, the first being that you weren’t allowed a key to the house. You had to wait outside for him to come let you in every morning, and every evening, he’d walk you out, and lock the door behind you. This, he told you was not up for discussion.

On your first day, he gave you a quick tour of the part of the house you would be working in.   
Through the exterior door, there was a hallway where you could put away your jacket. On the other side of the hall was a short set of stairs, up to the main floor.

The first stop on the tour, was by a heavy wooden door. “This is my office. Always knock, don’t ever enter without permission. Got it.”

“Got it.” You nodded.

He didn’t say anything else, didn’t even open the door, just continued walking. You passed a couple more doors, but he didn’t stop to mention what was behind them. Then he finally stopped. This time he opened the door, and gestured you inside.

You stepped into what turned out to be a large library. There were several leather chairs a couple of sofas, and tables stacked full of books. The shelves ran along most of the wall space, the door, and a bay window facing towards the back of the house were the only shelf-free areas.

You wondered how many books there were in there? Were they all about art and art history? It was difficult to make sense of this place, you had expected a gallery, but now you were faced with something completely different.

“I don’t have an office for you at the moment, but you can clear some space on one of the tables and use that as your desk for the time being.” He interrupted your thoughts. “We’ll see about finding you a space if you stick around.”

“Ok.” You nodded. The way he had phrased it seemed a bit dismissive, but you supposed he might have already had a few assistants that hadn’t worked out. It was your time to prove that you deserved the job. The offer had been unexpected, but now that you were here, you considered it a good opportunity. You weren’t sure if the work here would lead you anywhere else, but at least you would finally be able to start saving up money for the future.

For the first couple of weeks, you worked mainly on organising and alphabetising the library. It felt a little odd that you were working for an art-dealer, but you hadn’t seen any art around, except for what seemed to be his private collection, adorning the walls in the hallway and his office. As the days went by, you also noticed the distinct lack of other people. No one came, or went at the house except for the occasional delivery driver, always delivering parcels, never picking up any.

When you asked Seunghyun about the art, and the business, all he would say was that he didn’t let new employees work with the art, and that he alone would take care of everything until he was sure he could trust you. Thus, you continued organising the library.

It was satisfying, watching the cluttered shelves slowly coming together into a semblance of order, but it was also tedious work. At the end of each day, your eyes were burning, and your head was spinning. It was also lonely, quiet work.

You didn’t see an awful lot of Seunghyun, he was mostly by himself in his office. You could sometimes hear him rummaging around in there, but he rarely came to check on you, and with the current nature of your work, you had few opportunities to go see him. In one way, you supposed that was a good thing. Even though his office was nicely decorated, though a little cluttered, you didn’t like it in there.

You didn’t believe in a sixth sense or anything, but there was something about that room that just creeped you out. You didn’t know why, but every time you went in there, the hairs on your arms started standing on end. It wasn’t Seunghyun, that was the only thing you were sure of. He was intimidating, there was no doubt about that, but he was also usually very good to you. He did have days when he had mood swings, or was generally grumpy and took it out on you, but for the amount of money he was paying you, it wasn’t an issue. No, there was something else, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

Other than organising the library, your chores involved going to the post office, and going to the store to buy ice-cream sandwiches. Either the man subsisted exclusively on ice-cream sandwiches, or he ordered takeaway or went to restaurants every day. You had never once seen him cook, or eat anything else. There was a small fridge/freezer in the kitchen between his office and the bathroom, but the only thing in it were the things you brought for your own lunch, and his ice-cream. There was also a coffee maker, and a kettle, so you could make tea and coffee as you pleased.

As the days passed, you caught yourself looking forward to seeing Seunghyun’s face in the morning. He might act like the world’s biggest grump sometimes, but you knew there was more to him. You were intrigued by him, and wanted to get to know him better.

You tried to tell yourself that it was only curiosity about him that made your heart beat a little faster every time he came around. There was no way you could be attracted to your strange boss, no matter how devastatingly handsome he was. You knew nothing about the man.

Little by little though, he started warming up to you. Sometimes he would pop by the library, to tell you a strange or confusing joke or riddle, just to disappear almost before the last word had left his mouth. Some days he would be sweet, and share his ice-cream sandwiches with you, ask you how you were, or little details abut your life. He seemed to be genuinely interested in hearing all your little anecdotes, but he never shared anything about himself.

It didn’t take long for you to notice how he would always change the subject every time you asked him something personal. “Where are you from?” Lead to an entire conversation about what was your favourite subject in school. “Do you have any family?” Led to questions about your own family, and your favourite food. This was how it went every single time. He never slipped up and revealed anything about himself, only derailed the conversations over to you.

Even though you were slowly getting to know each other, you still found it difficult to gage what mood he was in on any given day, so unless he stopped by the library, you would leave him alone. He seemed to be happy with that arrangement.

You soon learned that the house wasn’t only his business, but also his home. Though he lived in a separate part of the house, with its own entrance, and only a single door connecting it to the rest of the building, some parts of his personal life bled into his business. The library for example, existed in an intangible limbo between Seunghyun the man, and Seunghyun the art-dealer.

He had sections of books about art, shelves and shelves full. Everything from the newest books and magazines, to dusty tomes that would fit right in at a museum. Between the work-related books though, there were both fiction and non-fiction volumes of all kinds. It was difficult to pinpoint a theme to his personal books. They were even in several different languages.

Seunghyun usually kept office hours the entire time you were at work, once every few days, he would step out for a couple of hours. On this particular day though, he was leaving you to look after the house for most of the day. He said he needed to go out of town for some important business.

“Here’s my private number, please don’t use it unless it’s something important.” He put an emphasis on the last word, before handing you a scribbled note.

You folded the note up, and put it in your pocket, intent that it would stay there for the remainder of the day. Unless something dramatic happened you couldn’t see a use for it, and the quiet library wasn’t exactly where you expected to find trouble. At least you were right about that part.

The unexpected event that inevitably came up, originated at the end of the hallway.

It started with a thump. At first, you weren’t entirely sure you hadn’t imagined it. You stayed alert though, and right as you were about to brush it off as nothing, there was another sound. And another. As much as you wished you could stay put, and ignore the bangs and thumps, you knew you had to go investigate.

It turned out the noises came from behind the door to Seunghyun’s personal wing. As you stepped closer, you could see a shape moving on the other side of the door. Your first thought was that Seunghyun must have come back without notifying you. On second thought though, he had told you he wouldn’t be back until the evening, and he was nothing if not punctual.

Seunghyun had never mentioned anyone else living in his part of the house, or a significant other, or family member that would be close enough to him that they would be allowed in his house when he wasn’t at home. Could it be Seunghyun after all?

You stood, watching the door for a while, struggling to decide whether to call Seunghyun, or not. There wasn’t a lot to do today, and your curiosity was piqued. Several times, you almost touched the door handle, to see if it was locked, but each time something stopped you. It felt like going further would be an invasion of his privacy.

The second time the shadow passed in front of the tinted glass, you knew. There was no way it could be Seunghyun. There was no doubt in your mind that whoever it was was a man, but he was definitely shorter than Seunghyun, and with a stockier build. He must have noticed you standing there, because he hurried off. Could he be a burglar? Or something even worse? As much as you didn’t want to interrupt Seunghyun, you saw no other choice than calling him.

You walked back to the library, took a deep breath and pulled the folded note out of your pocket.

“Hello?” He answered almost immediately. His voice was calm and mellow, there was no sign that you calling had annoyed him.

Good, you thought to yourself. “I’m sorry to disturb.” You started.

“Its fine, you didn’t interrupt anything.”

“It’s just. There was a sound from your house, and I went to see what was going on, and there looks like there’s someone in there. I wasn’t sure--” You couldn’t finish, before he interrupted you.

“That’s nothing for you to worry about.” His voice had gone cold and hard, just the sound of it sent shivers down your spine. “Stay away from that door, no matter what you see or hear.” Then the line went dead. He had hung up on you.

You stood there, looking at the phone in your hand for a couple of minutes, trying to process what had just happened. It was clear that Seunghyun wanted to keep his private life to himself, that was only fair. But there was something else, a gnawing uncomfortable feeling at the pit of your stomach. You couldn’t put a word to it, but something felt very wrong.

Why had his mood changed so suddenly when you told him abut your suspicion? Who could the man in the shadows be? Why hadn’t Seunghyun mentioned something before? What was he trying to hide, and more importantly, did you really want to know the answer to all these questions?

After that day, you didn’t go anywhere near the door for a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

A new workday came creeping up on you, unbidden, after a long night of pondering the events of yesterday. The more you looked for answers, the more questions kept piling up. For a while you contemplated calling in sick. It didn’t take long, however, before curiosity had taken over, and you were on your way to work. The only thing you were sure of was that the answers you were looking for weren’t just going to drop into your lap. Deep down, a small voice was saying that you might not like what you found out. You brushed it aside.

As usual, Seunghyun met you at the door. It was early enough that the world was still barely starting to peek out from under the shadow of night. “Good morning.” He greeted you, just like every other day. His face was lit up by the embers at the end of his cigarette. The light accentuated the sharp precise lines of his nose, and jaw, the echo of fire burned in the depths of his mesmerizing eyes.

You felt odd. On one hand, the words he had said on the phone the day before were still ringing in your ear. You were probably over-reacting, but it all sounded so ominous. Who, and what could he be hiding behind that door? Could it be something illegal? Something dangerous? Was he himself dangerous?

But the tingle that ran down your spine wasn’t purely from apprehension, there was also that tinge of attraction that seemed to grow ever stronger, even though you were trying to push it away. You wanted to know the thoughts that were hiding behind that cool facade. To understand the complexities, and opposing traits of this unusual man. For a second you wondered what that those long fingers would feel like if they were interlocked with your own. You stopped yourself before the thought wandered even further.

“You ok?”

“Fine, thanks.” You managed a faint smile. “Just tired, that’s all.”

He looked at you, and raised an eyebrow, it was clear that he wasn’t buying your excuse. “I think there’s something on your mind.” Were you that easy to read? Or was it because you were a bad liar? Regardless of which one it was, he had you cornered, and reading from the expression on his face, that’s exactly where he wanted you.

“About yesterday,” you hoped he couldn’t hear the slight shake in your voice, “I think maybe we need to talk about whatever that was.”

He nodded, an unreadable expression on his face. “I suppose so. I’m sure you’re wondering what that was all about?”

“I, ummm.” You drew in a deep breath, before the words tumbled out of your mouth all at once. You told him you wanted to know what was going on, and that you needed to know you weren’t a part of something illegal. “I’m sorry.” Saying the words out loud, it sounded a lot more far-fetched than it had in your head. Maybe he was just fiercely protective of his private life? “The way you reacted was just a bit unexpected, I guess.” You finished, trying to row away from your own little rant.

“I’m sure it may have come off as harsh,” he mused, “but I don’t want you anywhere near that door, and that’s final.” He must have noticed the worried look on your face, because he continued unprompted. “All I’m gonna say is that I can guarantee there’s nothing illegal behind it.”

“Ok,” you nodded weakly, still not entirely convinced that what he was saying was true. You didn’t have any proof to the contrary though, and no real reason to doubt him, except for his erratic behaviour. For now, you would chalk it up to being one of his quirks, but you would make sure to keep it in mind if something else was to come up later.

His eyes met yours, the gaze intense, freezing you to the spot. “I need you to trust me for just a little bit longer, can you do that?”

You nodded. For the sake of your job, and the strange yet familiar feelings starting to bubble up within you.

“Good.” He smiled. “I think you and I can come to understand each other just fine.”

Days dragged by with nothing interesting happening, just tidying the library day out and day in, until it was finally starting to near perfection. Then, one day when you were about to leave for the day, Seunghyun popped his head in through the door.

“You ready?”

You grabbed your coat, and took a last look at the section you had finished that day. “Yeah, thanks.”

The two of you were almost at the door, when he turned to you. “I’ve been invited to the opening of an art exhibition, and I’d like you to come with me.”

Your heart started pounding, was he asking you out on a date? As much as you wanted to come, you knew that could spell trouble. Your mind went into overdrive, trying to figure out what he meant, and how you should react.

“So, will you come or not? It’ll count as over-time.” He broke you from your thoughts.

Instead of feeling relief, your heart fell. As much as you were trying to tell yourself you didn’t have a crush on him, you couldn’t even fool yourself. “I, yeah sure.” You nodded. It was on your day off, but you didn’t have any plans for the evening, and you were eager to finally take part in something art-related. And though you would never admit it, you were also excited about the idea of spending more time with Seunghyun. “You don’t have anyone else to take to these sorts of events?” You knew you were moving on thin ice, asking him about his private life, but it was all you could come up with in the moment.

“No.” The single clipped word hung in the air between you for a few moments, before he sighed. “That wouldn’t work with my lifestyle.”

“May I ask why?”

“There’s still too much that you wouldn’t understand.” He kept quiet until you reached the door, and you didn’t dare push the matter any further. “I’ll come pick you up at seven tomorrow, don’t be late.”

You spent a lot of time the next day wondering what you were going to wear. Seunghyun hadn’t said anything about the level of formality of the event, so you ended up with two options, one formal, and one a little more casual. You figured if you hadn’t heard anything before a couple of hours before you had to go, you would just have to make the final decision then.

You left both outfits on your bed, and moved into the living room to relax for a while.   
Almost immediately, there was a knock at your door. You didn’t expect anyone, and you were surprised to see a delivery man with an expensive looking box on the other side. You weren’t waiting for a parcel, and you most certainly hadn’t ordered anything that would come in a box like that.

“I’m sorry, but I think you must have the wrong apartment.”

“You’re miss _________?”

“That’s right.”

“Then this is for you.” He held out the box. “Everything has already been paid for.”

It must be from Seunghyun, you thought to yourself. You doubted whatever was in the box would even fit you, he had never asked you for your clothing size, but you would at least get a hint of what outfit would be appropriate for the evening. You put the box down on your bed, beside your improvised outfits. Once the lid was off, the contents revealed itself as a beautiful cocktail dress. The fabric alone looked more expensive than anything else you owned.

“Ok” you thought to yourself. “Don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t sit right.”

The dress slipped on easily, it was comfortable and didn’t pinch or sag anywhere. So far, so good. You turned towards the full length mirror, and let out a small gasp. It didn’t just fit nicely, it looked like it was made for you. You had no idea how Seunghyun had found the perfect size and silhouette. That would have to be another mystery for the book. For now anyway.

There was no car outside when you came downstairs, only a taxi parked a little ways away. You let out a sigh of relief, maybe he was running a little late. When it came to him, you always preferred to be a little on the early side, just in case he was in one of his moods.

A second later tough, Seunghyun’s face popped out of the window of the taxi. “You coming?”

You started hurrying as fast as your shoes would let you go. “I’m sorry.” You mumbled, as you entered, and slid yourself onto the seat. I didn’t realise--”

“That I can’t drive?” He interrupted you.

“Yeah.”

“Well, now you know.” He shrugged. You sat in silence for a while, before he turned to you. “You look very nice.”

“Thank you. I could say the same for you.”

He was wearing a fitted dark blue suit, with a matching tie and a colourful silk pocket square. As always, he was ridiculously good looking. His black hair was slicked back and styled to perfection. “Do you like the dress?”

“It’s perfect,” you beamed, “but how did you know my size?”

“Call it intuition.” He smiled. “I just have great appreciation for the finer things in life, like a well designed dress on a beautiful woman.”

“Thanks.” You were so dumbfounded by his answer that you didn’t know what else to say. Hadn’t he been the one who insisted that you were only going as boss and employee? He really shouldn’t be throwing about words like “beautiful,” not if he knew the way it made you just a little dizzy, and breathless.

The conversation soon enough changed to something unrelated, as if he didn’t even realise the effect he had on you.

When you got to the gallery, Seunghyun didn’t even have to give his name to be let in. The two of you wandered around, looking at the paintings, and talking to people Seunghyun knew. It seemed everyone knew who he was. After a while, someone pulled Seunghyun aside. They needed him to come discuss some business in private. Seunghyun excused himself, leaving you alone in the milling crowd of art enthusiasts.

You decided to take a some time to have a closer look at the pieces that had caught your attention while you walked with Seunghyun. After being introduced to so many people in a short amount of time, it was nice to be by yourself for a little while, just appreciating the art, and processing the impressions of the evening so far. You didn’t know how long you were alone for, but after a while you started keeping your eyes open for Seunghyun. You hoped he wouldn’t have any trouble finding you.

In a moment of inattention, on your way towards where you had last seen Seunghyun you slipped. The heels of your shoes buckled underneath you, and you braced for your inevitable meeting with the ground. The one that never came. Strong arms wrapped themselves around your waist, steadying you. The solid chest of a man, pressed flush against you, stopped you from falling backwards.

“Are you ok?” The deep husky voice couldn’t belong to anyone but Seunghyun.

“Yeah I’m fine,” you turned towards him, “thanks to you.”

Once he was sure you weren’t going to fall, he let go of your waist. “Do you want to get some refreshments?” He held out his hand.

“Sure.”

It didn’t take long, before you found a waiter. Seunghyun handed you a champagne glass from the tray, and took one for himself. He still didn’t let go of your hand, and to be completely honest, you didn’t want him to. His large hand was strong, warm, and surprisingly soft.

You held hands, until someone commented, and asked Seunghyun if he was finally settling down. Seunghyun laughed it off. He told them that it wasn’t anything like that, that he just liked having a pretty lady on his arm, and noting more. After that, he let go and didn’t hold your hand again for the rest of the evening.

The two of you shared a taxi home. The atmosphere between you was pleasant, yet there was something in the air between you. You wondered if he felt it too? He showed no signs of it, but how could he not feel the electricity bouncing in the air? Maybe you had just had too much champagne and your mind was playing tricks on you.

Even though it was already late when you came home, it took a long time before you finally fell asleep.

A few days later, you arrived at work, to find a new mug standing on your desk. It wasn’t anything ornate, or overly detailed, but you were very happy that Seunghyun must have thought of you. You took it as a sign he liked you, and hoped you would stick around. It was simple, white with your name on it, and it looked like it was hand-made.

You had sat down, and were taking a closer look at the cup, when the man himself showed up.

“You like it?”

“I do.” The truth was that the simple gesture had left you feeling all soft and fudgey inside, but of course you couldn’t tell him that.

“I made it myself.”

“Really? I didn’t know you made pottery.”

“It wasn’t relevant until now.” He shrugged.

The two of you had talked about hobbies before, but like with most other topics, he had refused to share anything. Maybe he was finally starting to open up to you? The more time you spent with him, the more you understood how complex of a person he was. Even the silence and mystery that shrouded him gave you some hints about who he could be. “I really like it, thank you.” You smiled.

“Don’t worry about it.” He turned, and stalked out of the room, but you were sure you could hear a smile in his voice. His last words came trailing into the room after he had already disappeared. “Come by my office after lunch, and I’ll take you to see some of the paintings I have stored.”


	4. Chapter 4

When you were done with your lunch, you met up with Seunghyun outside his office. You were thinking he was finally going to take you into what you now referred to as “the forbidden wing,” instead, he took you to one of the other doors in the business wing of the house. He pulled out an old heavy key. “Before we go down there, I expect you remember the confidentiality agreement you signed?”

“I do.”

“Good. Please don’t even think of touching anything, and be careful going down the stairs.”

You nodded in agreement.

Behind the door, was a dimly lit stairway. There were no windows in the small space, and the stairs turned out to be not just steep, but also uneven. It looked very easy when Seunghyun walked down with long sure strides, but for you it took a lot longer. Even treading as carefully as you could, you ended up stumbling and tripping on one of the last steps, but Seunghyun caught you, with seemingly no effort. It was as if he had known exactly what was going to happen, even before it did.

From the angle you ended up in, with his arms around your waist, you looked straight into the enigmatic darkness of his eyes. For a moment you struggled to catch your breath. His was the single most beautiful pair of eyes you had ever seen, and you felt locked in his gaze.

He cleared his throat, breaking the moment.

“I, umm. Thanks.” You tried to sound as normal as you could, but you were sure he could hear the quaver in your voice.

He le go of you with a half smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

Once you regained your balance and composure, Seunghyun lead you along a short corridor, until you reached a door. It was a stark contrast to the one upstairs. Where the first one looked like a regular, albeit old door, this one was large solid and made from metal. To the side of it, was a keypad. Seunghyun swiftly punched in the code, his hand so large it covered the keypad in its shadow.

The door gave a buzzing sound, and swung open. Seunghyun gestured for you to go on ahead.

The room that opened up in front of you was so big it must go underneath all of Seunghyun’s part of the house, if not even further. Right inside the door, was an intimidating looking panel, and the walls were filled with paintings.

“That regulates the temperature and humidity.” Seunghyun explained when he noticed you looking at the panel. “It’s important to keep the artwork at the best possible conditions, so they won’t deteriorate. And those,” he pointed to the lamps in the ceiling, “are also specially designed to reduce the risk of fading the paint.”

You were lost for words. With equipment that advanced just for storage, you could hardly even imagine how expensive the artwork in there must be.

First he showed you some modern pieces. Most of them were abstract. “These are some of my personal pieces,” he offered, “the rest of my private collection I keep in my house.” He led you further into the room. Here were pieces were more and more representational, you could clearly see what the subject was.

The further in you came, the older the paintings looked. There were cracks, faded pieces, and a couple with obvious damage. There was something eerily familiar about one of the paintings. It was hanging about half way between Seunghyun's collection, and the most damaged paintings. The colours were bright, and the strokes were bold and textured. It was of a vase of flowers, nothing more nothing less.

You were pretty sure you hadn’t seen it before, but the style was so similar to something. The name of the painter was somewhere in the back of your head, but you couldn’t quite grasp it. “Who are all these paintings by?” You asked, but as usual nothing related to Seunghyun came that easy.

A small smile played across his lips, and his eyes twinkled with what looked suspiciously like mischief. “I’m sure you’ll figure it all out soon enough, if you’re as clever as I think.”

“So that’s all I’m getting? No explanations?”

“That’s all, for now. Consider it a test.”

“Great,” you mumbled to yourself. Each answer he was giving you only lead to new questions.

You spent all evening wondering about the paintings. Why was the one with the flowers so familiar? As much as you wondered, no easy answer came to mind, and you were too tired to do any proper research. Where would you even start? There must be a million paintings out there of yellow and red flowers. By the time you went to bed, you were still no closer to figuring it out.

There were colours floating lazily in front of you, combining to make patterns and then coming apart again. Everything else was pitch black. You didn’t know how long you stood still, looking at the colours. There was something they were trying to tell you, but you couldn’t quite grasp what it was.

“Look at me.” The voice came from the darkness behind you. Without a millisecond of doubt, you knew who he was.

You turned though, and saw Seunghyun materialising from where there had been nothing before. Your heart started pounding in your chest. The familiar mix of fear and attraction once again washing over you. It was stronger now than it had ever been before. It was as if you were being pulled two ways. The one part of you screaming that you should run, while the other part wanted nothing more than to stay. You stood still, your mind racing, as he came closer.

He was dressed all in black, in a long heavy robe that fell all the way to the ground. What you saw in his eyes fascinated and scared you. Raw desire. A flickering flame that you knew would burn you to the ground if you only let it, yet there was no turning away. Before you had time to do anything, his lips met yours. Soft and fierce, and full of unsaid things.

You closed your eyes. The longing for him had taken over, all fear was forgotten. There was only the two of you, you pressed closer to him, rested your hand on the back of his neck. The colours started moving faster, swirling all around you. It felt like the answers to everything were just out of reach.

He whispered your name. It made electric tingles run down your spine.

The sound of your alarm ripped you from the dream. You pressed the snooze button and tried to go back to sleep, but for once sleep refused to come. Even as you got out of bed, and started getting ready for the day, you could still feel his touch lingering. It had never really been there, yet it was so vivid. “Stupid sexy Seunghyun,” you muttered to yourself, trying to chase the dream from your mind. The more you tried to ignore it, the more you couldn’t stop thinking of it.

Another thought that struck you was about the painting you had seen yesterday. Your brain mush have been working to solve the question all through the night. Now the answer was here, and you wondered how it had taken you so long to find it. The painting looked just like a Van Gogh! It wasn’t one of the famous paintings. You were sure you would have recognised them at once, and they were all in swanky galleries all over the world anyway. You were almost completely sure though, the colour and texture was what gave it away. The style so distinct, it was unlike any other painting you had ever seen.

A quick google search on Van Gogh didn’t yield anything, but you were sure the painting must be one of his, the similarity was just too uncanny. You were sure you had seen a book about Van Gogh somewhere when you organised the library. Maybe it would be easier to find something in there. It only took a few minutes from when you arrived at work before you had found the book you had been thinking of. A big heavy volume, with pictures of and details about all of his known works.

You skimmed through it, glancing quickly at each of the pictures, but nothing stood out. There were only a few pages left of the book, and you had almost given up hope. Thinking that you must have just imagined that the picture looked like a Van Gogh, when you found it. There it was, looking straight up at you, the small yellow flowers, a few red ones, the distinct brushstrokes, it was all there.

The chapter heading was: Lost artworks. The picture itself was called “poppy flowers,” and according to the book, it had been stolen from the Eyptian Modern Art Museum back in 2010. No one had seen it since, and it was sitting there in Seunghyun’s basement. Could the one he had be the real one, or was it just a copy? Whatever it was though, it was clear that Seunghyun’s business was nowhere as legitimate as he claimed.

You pulled up your phone, and googled the phrase “lost artworks.” You clicked through to a Wikipedia page, and let out a small gasp, as you started scrolling. Several of the paintings pictured there were ones you had seen in the basement yesterday.

Here was one with a boat caught in a storm. It was a Rembrandt called “Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee,” and had been stolen from a museum in Boston in 1990. You were sure it had been sitting towards the back of the room in the basement.

The chilling thing was that when you continued scrolling, you found more and more descriptions of stolen and assumed destroyed paintings that you had all seen in that room. What put the later ones apart, was that there were no pictures of them, because they had all been stolen before the invention of photography.

They were documentations of pieces that had vanished, as far back as four hundred years ago. How come they were right here, under your nose? Was Seunghyun selling counterfeit masterpieces? Or had he really gotten his hands on the real ones somehow?

You knew he was an important figure in the art world, but was anyone really that powerful? So much so that they could get a hold of things that had passed from common knowledge, some that shouldn’t even exist.

“Find what you were looking for?” Seunghyun’s voice came from right behind you, and your heart skipped a beat.

“I think I might have.”

He chuckled. “So you figured it out, did you?” When you didn’t answer, he continued. “About the paintings in the vault. What they are.” He showed no sign of annoyance, only curiosity.

“The lost art.”

“Clever girl.” He smiled.

Seeing that he seemed more amused than anything else, you were emboldened to ask. “Are they the real deal?”

“They most certainly are.” He confirmed.

“Is that why you only deal in secret, and don’t have a gallery? Because all the paintings you sell, are stolen?”

“You picked up on that, did you?” He still seemed completely unconcerned about the whole thing, as if having stolen masterpieces in the basement was a common thing. He had the most enigmatic expression on his face.

“But how?” How had he gotten a hold of them? How was it that pieces that had been lost for hundreds of years, with their only memory being descriptions in the back of dusty books, were here?

“A man must have some secrets,” he shrugged.

You wanted to scream, everything was just secrets with this man. How were you supposed to know what was real, if he refused to tell you any details? Wasn’t knowing about this a part of your job as his assistant? Instead you just let out a deep sigh.

“And I must remind you,” he continued, ignoring your exasperation, “all you know, needs to remain strictly between the two of us.”

You nodded, you had signed the confidentiality agreement after all. “So, you seem to know a lot of people, how many of them know what you do?”

“They all know I collect modern art.” He shrugged. The cocky smile on his face gave you he urge to punch him. He was clearly just playing games with you at this point.

“I mean how you get the money for said modern art.”

“Only a very select few.”

“I thought you said there was nothing illegal going on though?”

“I never said that.” He corrected you. “I said there was nothing illegal going on in my wing of the house. Never said anything about the basement.”

“So this is what you do? Sell stolen art?”

“Depends on who asks. Most of my connections only know me as a collector. Only my most trusted friends, and customers know where the money really comes from.”

“The ones with the most money to spend then?”

“Oh no,” he smiled, “the ones with the tightest lips.”

“So, where do you get all these paintings from?”

His face was stoic. “You’d be surprised at the things people are willing to do for their loved ones.”

“What?”

“Did I stutter?” His face was still devoid of feeling, as if you were talking about the weather.

“You hurt people?” As uncomfortable as the thought made you, it was neither entirely shocking, nor really unexpected from Seunghyun. You always knew there was something different about him, something dark. Was this what was going on all along?

“Not usually, no. Sometimes I don’t have a choice though,” He shrugged. “It all works out in the end, you don’t need the specifics.”

“What does that even mean?” You persisted. “Works out for who? You, or them?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does! If you’re hurting people, or worse to get what you want, then I want no part of it!” You were fuming now.

“Let’s just say nothing is done that can’t be undone, and everyone walks away with what they want. Isn’t that good enough?” He was still skirting the question, but you knew this was as close as you were going to get to a real answer. At least for now.

“Can you promise me that’s the truth?”

“The only ones permanently harmed are the museums.” He put his hand on his heart, as if he was swearing an oath. “You have my word.”

“I feel like there’s still something you’re hiding.” You weren’t sure what drove you to being so frank. You had never been this curious about anyone as you were about Seunghyun, and whatever was going on with him. You were annoyed at the way he was playing with you instead of just saying things outright.

You were still curious though, it was like solving a Rubik’s cube in candle light, but you had to know. Part of the reason was the attraction for him that you could no longer deny, part of it was because he was the single most fascinating and mysterious man you had ever met. In both god and bad ways.

“I can’t tell you about that, not now.” His expression had changed into a mask of stone, you knew there was no arguing with him when he was like that. “You didn’t tell anyone about what’s in the basement, did you?”

“I haven’t. I only just put it together.” You admitted.

“Were you going to tell anyone if you had the time?”

“No.” As much as you wanted to tell someone, that would mean running the risk of losing all of this, and you somehow couldn’t get yourself to even picture doing that.

“Good,” he nodded. “My trust in you was well-placed.” He stalked off, without another word. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

It was difficult to decide how you felt about the whole Seunghyun and art situation. You knew it was wrong. The pieces in the basement should be in museums for people to enjoy. There were also the definite moral and legal issues as to how he had acquired them. You knew you should probably call the police or the authorities, but if you did, all of this would be over. You would be back fighting not to drown in the ever more tumultuous job market. You still hadn’t had time to save up a cushion if this job didn’t work out.

There was also Seunghyun. Even though you knew what he was doing wasn’t right, you still couldn’t get yourself to betray him. The thought alone made your heart ache. The more time you spent with him, the more you saw the positive sides of him. Discovered what was hidden under the layers of mystery. There was a special connection between the two of you, though you couldn’t quite pinpoint what this connection was. Or why. All you knew was that doing what most people would consider the right thing, wasn’t an option for you. Not anymore.

And so you continued. Working day out, and day in, making a catalogue of his books, collecting parcels at the post office, and sending letters. Always wondering what was next. He must have some other plan for you mustn’t he? As big as his library was, organising it wouldn’t take forever.

A couple of weeks passed by, before Seunghyun asked you to come to another art event with him. You were secretly happy he asked you, it would give you an opportunity to spend more time with him. After denying it for so long, you were finally starting to admit to yourself that you were infatuated with him. Though you had no plans of telling him anytime soon. If ever. The idea of getting to know him better, regardless of whether it was on a platonic, or a more physical level, excited you. The more you knew about him, the more your curiosity grew.

On the day of the event, he got you another beautiful dress. It was delivered at your apartment, just like last time. There was also a necklace in the box, and a pair of matching shoes. You could swear the outfit must cost more than you earned in a month, but you knew now that he could easily afford it. At events like these, it was important to fit in, and you were relieved you didn’t have to think about anything other than your make-up, hair and coat.

You made sure to come outside in plenty of time before he was going to pick you up. The taxi rolled up in front of you five minutes early. Security at the door of the venue recognised Seunghyun on sight again. He must have made quite a name for himself as a collector, for everyone to know who he was, even though almost no one knew what he really did.

You had hung up your coats, and were mingling with some of Seunghyun’s art friends that you had met at the last event, when the energy in the room changed. An unsettling feeling started filling you, and you couldn’t understand why. Not until everyone went quiet. You turned towards the door, a tall man had just walked in.

For a moment the focus of the entire room shifted to him. It was only for a second or two but it felt like time stood still. Then everyone went back to their conversations. The room was buzzing again, as if nothing had happened.

You only got a quick glance at him, he was tall and slim, his face had a feline quality to it. His nose was long and straight, his eyes like dark vortices, and his ears unusually protruding. He was one of those people you want to take a closer look at, just to take in all the striking features, but you didn’t get the chance to do that.

Within the blink of an eye after the tall stranger had appeared, Seunghyun grabbed a hold of your arm, and pulled you into a corner of the room. Before you had the chance to open your mouth and ask him what was going on, you were silenced.

The kiss was different than in your dream, maybe because it was so unexpected. It only took you a couple of seconds to realise what was going on, before you started kissing him back. For a fraction of a second, you thought about pushing him away, but it was as if your body had a mind of its own. You had no idea what was going on, but you might as well enjoy it while it lasted. You melted into the kiss, and let your hands come up to tangle in his hair.

He slipped his tongue into your mouth, deepening the kiss. His strong arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer.

Your heart started beating faster. The two of you shouldn’t be doing this, you knew that, but you wanted him. He had sparked something in you, and you didn’t ever want to stop kissing him.

Without warning, he pulled back. His hands dropped from your waist, and he took a step back. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, before he turned his attention back to you.

You looked at him, speechless in your confusion.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, his dark voice almost imperceptible in the muddle of voices around you.

“You what?” You were still completely shell shocked.

He shrugged, “kissing you was the first thing that came to my mind. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Then why did you?” You had enjoyed the kiss, even though it was unexpected, but now you had no idea what was going on. For a moment, he had stirred something in you, and now he was apologising?

“Not here.” Seunghyun took your hand, and you let him lead you to a balcony outside. It was cold and windy, and neither of you were wearing a coat. He glanced across his shoulder again, before continuing in a low voice. “I didn’t want him to see my face.”

Even the hot atmosphere around you had all of a sudden turned icy. You shuddered. “The guy that just walked in?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Who is he?”

“Someone who shouldn’t be here.”

“Yeah, that really doesn’t answer my question.” You huffed. Even as unsettled as you were by the strange man, or maybe because of it, your patience with Seunghyun was completely gone for the moment.

Seunghyun looked at you like you had just descended from the moon. It was blatantly obvious that he, as you had suspected, was not used to being addressed like that. It took him a few seconds to compose himself.

“Is he one of your, you know, _customers?_ ” Spurred on by his silence, you took the chance to ask.

He shook his head as if to clear his mind, before he started talking. “An old friend.” The last word was clipped, something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “His name is Soohyuk. Truth be told, I haven’t seen him in years.” For the briefest moment, a melancholy expression flashed across his face. Then he shut down. Just like he usually did every time things got too personal for his liking. He reached out and took your hand again. “I think it’s time we get back in there. I have some people I still need to catch up with. Just keep an eye out for Soohyuk, ok?”

Realising this was as close as you were going to get for now, you let out a heavy sigh. “Whatever you say, boss.”

The rest of the evening was a blur of introductions, and small talk. Again you were left with more questions than answers, and you didn’t have any opportunities to press Seunghyun on the issue.

It wasn’t until you were in the taxi on the way home, you finally had some time to talk to him again properly. “So,” you started, “in there. It was all about that Soohyuk guy?” The kiss had felt so real that you had to ask. Out of all the questions swirling in your head, that was the one that seemed most pressing in the moment.

“What do you mean?” The scorching hot look in his eyes told you all you needed to know. His pupils were dilated, his lips gently parted. His full attention was on you, waiting for what you would say next.

“I think you know what I mean.”

“Maybe I do,” he smirked, “but first there are two things you need to know, and agree to, if we’re gonna do this.” He placed his hand gently on your thigh. Long slender fingers played with the fabric of your dress, sending small jolts of electricity tingling across your skin. He leaned in closer to you, still keeping eye contact. There was no doubting what he wanted.

“Go on.” It felt like you were about to spontaneously combust just from the looks he was sending you.

“Firstly, this is only physical. If you’re hoping for anything more that’s not something I can give you.”

“Ok,” you nodded. “Secondly?”

“Secondly, I need you to promise this won’t affect your work in any way. No matter what happens. Business and pleasure must be kept entirely separate.”

“Ok. I promise.” The words exited your mouth before you even had time to think it through. In that moment, you would probably have agreed to anything he asked of you.

“Good.” He kissed you again. It was passionate, and so much sexier now that you were expecting it.

The drive to your house lasted hours longer than it had on the way to the venue. The second you were through the door to your apartment, you found his lips again. Pressed him against the door, and felt his excitement straining against his trousers. The two of you kicked off your shoes, and let your coats fall onto the floor in the rush to get to your bedroom.

He lifted you up bridal style, his long strides carrying you across the room in a flash.

“Left door,” you managed to pant out.

He helped you off with your dress. The fabric fell to the ground in luxurious ripples, followed by a peppering of soft kisses across your shoulders and neck. His warm breath tickled, as he murmured into your ear, “you have no idea how much I want you right now,” his voice was deep and husky.

“I think I do,” you hummed. Your body was on fire, and you gave yourself over to his hands and your own lust.

His lips were different from in your dream, different from earlier in the evening as well. Seunghyun himself was different. Dream and reality are two worlds apart, but you never imagined Seunghyun could be like this. The intensity of it all was the only resemblance between imagination and reality. You couldn’t remember ever feeling this attracted to anyone. Each touch of his hands was intoxicating, you were getting addicted to the feeling of his presence.

There was no hesitation, none of the usual awkwardness of a first encounter. There was only urgency. Your two bodies reacting to each other in a way as if it had always been like this. You let him lead the way. His every move was experienced and perfectly calculated to leave you begging for more. All through the night he was happy to oblige.

You had never imagined sex could ever feel this good, it was as if he had hundreds of years of experience in how to please his partner. He made you feel like the centre of the universe. Every compliment he gave you, so genuine that you couldn’t deny them even if you wanted to. Each word was backed up with the obvious way in which his body responded to you.

As good as it felt, there was also an annoying alarm going off somewhere in the back of your mind. It was warning you that you were getting in too deep, too fast. That your feelings had already grown past those of simple carnal desire. You decided not to heed its warning. This, however, wasn’t the last warning you would get about he subject.

It was early in the morning, the sun had not yet started to come up. You were still awake, though barely so, and so was Seunghyun. You were warm, comfortable, and deliciously sore all over. Seconds from falling asleep, He broke you from your comfortable doze.

“You know you can’t get too close to me.” His voice was completely devoid of feeling, as if you were anywhere other than intertwined together, naked in your bed.

A chill went down your back. “You already said that.”

“An important thing can’t be repeated too often.” He hummed, and started drawing patterns on your back with his finger. His other hand wrapped around your own.

“Why?”

“There’s still too much you don’t know, things I can’t tell you yet, ones you couldn’t fully understand, and ones you wouldn’t like to know.” He refused to meet your eyes.

“You’re not married or anything?”

“Not married no, but it’s complicated.”

“Try me.”

He shook his head, “you don’t want to know.”

“I do.” You insisted.

“You’re putting on a brave face now, but I promise it’s better like this.” He still hadn’t let go of your hand. There was something in his eyes that you couldn’t quite grasp. What was stopping him?

“I kept your secret, what more do you want?”

“It’s not that I can’t trust you, not any more. It’s only that I don’t think you can handle the entire truth yet.”

“Try me.” You repeated, and locked your eyes with his, gaze unwavering.

“I’ll think about it. Just remember,” he emphasised, “I can’t give you what you want.”

“This is what I want.” You weren’t lying. You still had yet to figure out how you felt about him. Maybe you truly didn’t mind. After all, if you could still have nights like this one, you might not need anything more.


	6. Chapter 6

Seunghyun had told you to keep things casual, but so far he was the one who was bending the rules. Sometimes he would kiss you by the door, as you were leaving work for the day. Other days he would ask to come home with you, or invited you out for coffee. Your feelings for him kept troubling you, but you didn’t want to slow down. Every moment with him brightened up your day, and your chemistry kept growing stronger.

Even though you were getting closer and closer, he still kept his secrets close to his chest. Days kept rolling by, but he never invited you to his house. Not even to be intimate.

During work hours, things would go on almost like they always had. Every now and then, he would pop by with tasks for you to do, and he had started taking his lunch breaks whenever you did. Other than that though, you continued being professional as long as you were at work.

It was Tuesday a couple of hours after your lunch break, when Seunghyun came to see you. “Hey. I just got a call, and I need to go out of town for a couple of days.”

“Ok?”

“So I was thinking you could have those days off.” He continued.

“Sounds nice.” You smiled.

He came closer. “I was also thinking.” The look in his eyes all of a sudden sultry and dangerous. Enough to make the temperature in the room rise by several degrees. “I need to go pack, but before then, how about you finish up work, and give me a couple of minutes of your time?”

“I guess I could do that.” You tried acting nonchalant, but your heart was already racing.

“Good.”

You picked up your things, and met up with Seunghyun in the hallway.

He pulled you in for a passionate kiss. Afterwards he smiled at you with a glint in his eye. “I’ve been thinking about doing that all day.”

You leaned in again until your lips were almost touching. “Then why did you wait?”

He kissed you again, greedy for more. His arms wound tightly around your waist, pulling you flush against him. “God, I wish we had more time.”

“But you have to get ready right now?”

“I do.”

“May I ask where you’re going?”

“You can always ask,” he smirked, but didn’t elaborate.

“So, when are you going to tell me about your mysterious double life?” Your tone was joking, but there was no smile to be found on Seunghyun's face.

“I need some time.”

“I already gave you time.” You sighed. How long was he going to play this game with you?

“Thursday evening if I’m back by then.” He promised, “let’s have dinner. We can start there.”

“Good,” you nodded.

“I’ll call you when I know.” He moved a stray lock of hair away from your forehead, a soft smile lit up his face. Then he pressed a quick kiss to your lips and one to your forehead, turned, and left.

Thursday came, and you had yet to hear anything from Seunghyun. You took the opportunity to go out for lunch with one of your old friends from the coffee shop. Lately you had been so busy with work, and visits from Seunghyun, you had barely had time for anything else. It was good to have some time off from all the mysteries, and just enjoy yourself. Chatting came easy, and you found yourself smiling a lot.

The cafe you were in reminded you of the one you had lost. The bustling atmosphere, all the nice smells of coffee, and baked goods wafting in the air. Nostalgia washed over you, though it had only been months since your old job closed down. Thinking back, there were many things you missed, but you were also happy to be where you were now.

Your friend had also gotten a new job, but she was not by any means as happy as you were.

Just as your friend came back from a bathroom break, your phone rang. It was Seunghyun. “I’m sorry.” You mimed at her, as you picked up.

“Hey.” Just the sound of his voice was enough to send a shiver down your spine. “Are you still free tonight?”

“Yeah, I was waiting for you to get back to me.”

“Good. Would you like to come for dinner at my house?”

“Your house?”

“Yeah, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Ok?” Were you finally going to find out who the person you had glimpsed in Seunghyun’s house was? Or was there someone else he wanted you to meet? Either way, you were more than intrigued to find out.

“How about I send you a car at seven?” He broke your train of thought before you had time to ponder any further.

“Yeah, seven is good.”

“It’s a date then.” There was an unusual tension in his voice. He sounded nervous?

It threw you a little, he was always either joking around or serious and controlled. You didn’t think you had ever heard him so vulnerable before.

You knew the dinner must be a big deal for him, it was for you as well.

“I need to warn you though, he’s a little out of the ordinary.”

“I don’t mind. I’ll be happy to meet him.”

“I really hope you will.” Seunghyun sounded nervous again. There was a sound in the background, like someone talking. “I’ve got to go now. I’ll see you later.” There was no time for you to answer before he hung up.

Your friend teased you a bit about how flustered you were after one short call with your boss, but you just laughed it off. It didn’t seem like the right time to tell anyone that you had some kind of undefinable thing going on with your boss. When the two of you decided to call it a day, you went straight home to plan your outfit for the evening.

Seunghyun met you outside the house, like in the morning. He was dressed smartly in black jeans with a cardigan layered over a blue shirt. He took your hand, as you walked through the same hallway you walked through every day, but today, there was light shining through the door to Seunghyun’s wing.

You had barely even looked at the door, since that time Seunghyun told you off, but now here you were. Walking into the once forbidden part of the house. You got a glimpse of white walls, and modern art, before he guided you through the first door to your right.

The dining room had white walls, like the hallway outside. Large windows lined the outer wall, and there were several colourful abstract works on the walls. The table was set for two, with a bottle of wine in the middle of the table.

“Is it just us?” You had thought Seunghyun was bringing his friend, and as nice as it was sitting down for dinner together, there was still a small sting of disappointment.

“For now,” he nodded, and pulled out your chair for you.

“Thank you.” You smiled, and suppressed a shiver as his long fingers graced casually against the side of your neck. “So, the someone you were gonna introduce me to?”

“He’s around, but he won’t join us until after dinner.”

“Oh, ok,”

“You’ve been very patient with me.” His face softened, “just hold on a little longer, all right?”

You nodded.

Dinner passed in relative silence. The food was delicious, definitely ordered from some expensive restaurant. There was a little small-talk, but as the meal wore on, the tension started building. You were both too nervous to keep up any semblance of normalcy.

Seunghyun cleared the table, and when he came back, he looked at you with a grave expression. All nerves seemed to have left him. “Before I call him in, I just want to double check. You’re going to see something that might make you very uncomfortable. Are you sure you still want this?”

You nodded, a bit apprehensive about everything, but you were determined not to back down. Seunghyun was offering you a glimpse into his life, and there was no way you were going to let that chance get away from you.

Seunghyun smiled, “good.” Then he got to his feet, walked over to the door, and knocked hard a couple of times, before he sat back down across from you.

The soft creaking of the floorboards outside, announced the arrival of the other man before he came through the door. His steps were so soft that you couldn’t hear them. The moment he entered the room, you were sure that it was him you had seen the shadow of through the door a while back. He was wearing jeans, and a black hoodie. The hood was up, and he had his head bent so it was difficult to get a look at his face. He sat down in the corner furthest away from you, in the shadows. He sat turned slightly towards the wall, so that even when he straightened up, you could only see part of one side of his face.

You had expected him to introduce himself, or at least say hello, but he was completely silent.

Seunghyun took the lead. “_________, this is Seungri. Seungri, this is _________.”

“Pleased to meet you Seungri.” You smiled. Happiness bubbled in you at meeting Seunghyun’s friend.

Seungri didn’t answer you, but instead sent a quick glance at Seunghyun out of the corner of his eye.

“He doesn’t speak,” Seunghyun explained.

“How come?” You knew you were being nosy, and that it might be an uncomfortable question, but you also knew that Seunghyun probably wasn’t going to give you an explanation of his own volition.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “He just doesn’t. At least not to me, not for years. I think he’s angry with me.”

“You haven’t talked in years?! Don’t you find that odd?” At this point, you were more confused than you had ever been. It was clear that Seungri must be living with Seunghyun, and that that was probably the reason why Seunghyun had asked you to keep away from the door to his wing. But how could they be living together if they didn’t even talk?

“I guess it could seem strange,” he nodded, a thoughtful expression had crept up on his face. “But we have this arrangement, I’ll tell you all about it some other time.”

“So there’s no other reason he wouldn’t be able to talk?”

Seunghyun scratched his head. “That’s a very difficult question. There was this thing that happened years and years ago. Might have made him mute, but might have just made him pissed off enough that he decided not to talk. he’s the single most pig-headed person I ever met.” A fond smile played across his lips, as he looked at the other man.

Seungri seemed unaffected by the whole conversation. He appeared to be looking out the window, even though it was getting too dark to see much any more. His fingers tapped against the table top, so gently that there was barely any sound, but it was clear that he was nervous.

“But the two of you live together?”

“We do.”

“Why?”

“He’s got this thing, you see. He can’t really go outside, so I’m responsible for him now.”

“Thing?”

Seunghyun sighed, “I think it’ll be easier to show you.”

You had to concentrate on not holding your breath.

“Ri, honey,” Seunghyun looked at Seungri, “show her.”

Seungri lifted his eyebrows in a quizzical manner, as if he was asking if Seunghyun was sure. He must have been paying attention the whole time, even though it hadn’t looked like it.

Seunghyun nodded. “Go on.”

Seungri looked down at the table. His jaws clenched. A small puff of air through his nose, not a sigh, but not exactly a huff either. His hands were shaking a little, as he lowered the hood from his head, revealing tussled black hair underneath, not short, not long, brushing across his forehead. He slowly turned to face you. He continued going until you could see the part of his face that had been turned away. The skin on his cheek bone was tight, like the hide on a drum and there were several deep gashes in his cheek.

You let out a soft gasp, but kept as composed as you could. A falling, uncomfortable feeling filled your stomach.

The gashes were not wounds, nor did they look like they had healed over normally. It was as if those parts of his cheek had just been worn away, or even worse, rotted off. The thought alone made you shudder. In one place, you could see through his cheek, to the shiny white teeth behind. It was like nothing natural. The skin didn’t look like it belonged to a living person at all. It was like something taken straight from a horror film with a minuscule special effects budget. You could barely believe your own eyes. Deep down, some basic instinct told you that something about this was not right at all. It wasn’t just the look of his face, it was the feeling of something unnatural. In any other situation you would have laughed at the idea, but in that moment? It didn’t seem too far off to think that something supernatural was going on.

It took real force to keep it together, you had never felt so uneasy before. You shook off the strange feeling and turned your focus upwards, wanting to meet Seungri’s eyes. You understood now why Seunghyun had been reluctant to introduce you. You were sure your mind was just playing tricks on you though. Seungri still refused to look at you. You finally had the opportunity to have a better look at him. The rest of his face was like any other face. You would even go so far as to call him handsome, if one only looked away from the scarred side of his face. He had straight brows with lively intelligent eyes underneath, and a straight slightly wide nose. One of the most striking features of his face though, was his mouth. It was cat-like, with delicately defined lips. He must be really cute when he smiled, you thought to yourself, trying to push away the eerie feeling.

He looked like a person who would smile easily. The expression on his face now though was that of a kicked puppy. It was clear only from a glance that he wished he was anywhere but there.

As bad as you were feeling, he was probably feeling much worse. Though you didn’t know him, something sparked in you. You couldn’t explain why, but you reached your hand out across the table. Your fingers only barely reached far enough for you to touch the top of his hand lightly.

He looked up, surprise filled his dark eyes. A small weary smile found its way to his lips.

“You see now why it took me so long to introduce you two?” Seunghyun asked.

You nodded.

“But you’re still not scared away?”

“No. I don’t see why I would be?” Though looking at the scarred part of Seungri’s face brought a chill to your bones, you weren’t going to let that get in the way of getting to know the person behind it. You were sure the unearthly feeling would go away as well, if only you got to know him.

“Not even if I make him a part of your job?”

“My job? What do you mean?” You didn’t like how Seunghyun talked about Seungri as if he wasn’t sitting right there. The cold side of him was shining through again.

“It’s what I’ve wanted for you since the beginning, but I had to make sure you were trustworthy first.”

“I still don’t get it?”

“As things are, he can’t really go anywhere. Not looking like that, it doesn’t look natural. It would have been a lot easier if it was.” Seunghyun stared quietly into mid-air for a moment, but before you had time to ask him to clarify, he continued. His tone was changed now. “I just need someone to keep him company sometimes is all, he does seem a little bored here all by himself.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Seungri rolling his eyes at what Seunghyun was saying.

In this hole situation, no one were asking Seungri what he wanted, so you turned to him. “I’m happy to spend time with you, but what do think about all this?” You realised that was a dumb question to ask someone who didn’t speak and didn’t have a notebook with him. You re-phrased the question. “Would you like me to come hang out with you?”

Another smile graced his lips, this one wider than the last one. Then he nodded.

“It’s a deal then.” You agreed.


	7. Chapter 7

Seungri stayed for a little while longer after the introduction, before he left you and Seunghyun to it. You had a lot to talk about, now that Seunghyun was finally starting to share his secrets with you.

“So, Seungri?” You started, “what is he to you? What’s this arrangement?”

“I guess you could call it a friends with benefits kind of thing, or something along those lines anyway.”

“Oh.” That wasn’t quite the answer you had been expecting. Especially since the two of them didn’t appear to be very close to each other even though they lived in the same house. When he had told you things were complicated, you had assumed he might be married, nothing like this had ever crossed your mind. “But you don’t talk to each other?”

“That’s where the something along the lines comes in.” He smirked. “We don’t talk together, but Seungri is very good at letting his body do all the talking for him.”

Somehow the crude way in which he was talking about Seungri didn’t make your skin crawl, like it would have in any other context. There was something about the way that Seunghyun was saying it, almost as if he was trying to seem crude and cold on purpose, you wondered why that was? Could it be that Seungri meant a lot more to him than he wanted to let on? Even now he was keeping you at an arm’s length. What would it take to win his trust, you thought to yourself, and was it even possible? For now, you wouldn’t press the issue, a better time to ask without risking him shutting down was sure to come around sometime. As with everything Seunghyun though, you were sure it would take some time.

You changed the subject. “So that’s why you said we couldn’t ever really be together? Because of him?” It would explain a lot of things, you thought to yourself.

“Oh no, nothing like that. He doesn’t mind me fooling around with women. At least that’s the impression I’ve got from him. Brought home a guy once though. That didn’t work out.” He chuckled to himself. “I’m sure he’d be perfectly happy for me and you to be together.”

“Then why?” Even though Seunghyun had made it clear that the two of you couldn’t be a couple from the start, it still hurt to hear him use the expression “fooling around.” He had come to be very special to you, and you had hoped you were something special to him as well.

“All in due time.” His face became a stoic unreadable mask, like so many times before.

You rolled your eyes at him. “Whatever.” Even though he had already shown you a lot of trust by introducing you to Seungri, you were still sick of his never-ending string of secrets.

“I mean it,” he insisted. “I’m planning on telling you everything, just one thing at a time. it’s some very heavy stuff, and some of it will be difficult for you to both understand, and deal with.” The earnest look in his eyes was all the proof you needed that he was telling the truth.

You nodded. “As long as you’re not keeping secrets just for the sake of it. The mysterious vibe was sexy at first, but now it’s getting kinda old.”

He let out a small laugh. “I promise.” He cocked his head at you. “Hey, I’m just trying to make sure you’re not scared away. I really think you could be good for Seungri, he’s been a bit down lately.”

“So, just for Seungri?” You sent him an inquisitive look. After his comment earlier, you needed him to give you a sign that he cared about you, even if it wasn’t in the same way you cared about him.

A small chuckle left his lips. “You sure are something, aren’t you?” An intense light shone in his dark eyes, as he looked at you, a crooked smile on his lips. “For me too. In truth, mostly for me.”

“Good,” you smiled. Your heart beat a fraction faster, having that little bit of proof that you were important to him. That you weren’t the only one with some kind of feelings, though you didn’t know how deep his lay. “And what do you mean lately? Do you think he’s alright?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. It’s only the last ten years or so.” Seunghyun shrugged.

“WHAT?! TEN YEARS?!” He must be joking, right? The two of them had been living under the same roof for over ten years, without talking, and Seunghyun hadn’t thought anything about his friend seeming lonely for the last decade. Maybe you had been wrong about him when you thought he was just pretending to objectify Seungri. Could he really be that cold?

“Yeah, that’s also a part of what I need to talk to you about. It’s not as bad as it sounds, I promise.”

“Go on.”

“Tomorrow.” He promised. “I think the whole Seungri thing is enough to swallow for now.”

“I think I know better than you what is enough for me.” You protested.

“Please? Just wait. I promise it’ll all come to light soon enough.” He smiled at you, and stretched his hand across the table. “Hey,” he changed the subject, “would you like to stay the night?”

“Are you sure?” You hadn’t even been allowed in his house before, and now he was asking you to stay over as if it was the most natural thing.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m not hiding anything here that you can find anyway. It was only Seungri.”

“I’d say that’s quite a big thing though.”

“I guess,” he chuckled.

“I just can’t seem to get you Seunghyun.”

“I hope you will soon enough,” he stroked his thumb against the back of your hand, “but for now, will you just stay with me?” There was a vulnerability in his face that you had only seen flashes of before. This time he wasn’t trying to hide it from you. “I need you.”

“I don’t have any clothes with me though.” It wasn’t as much of a protest as a practical observation. You really did want to stay with him. Hearing those three words filled you with joy, he needed you. He had a special way of getting to you, it was almost as if he knew exactly which words you needed to hear.

“You won’t be needing clothes.” Seunghyun trailed his fingertips up your arm, leaving fiery trails in their wake.

“You know what I mean.”

“We can sort that out tomorrow,” he purred, his eyes were so dark they were almost completely black now.

It was as if the heat within you, and the fire in his eyes had used up all the oxygen in the room. You bit your lip, heart beating faster and harder knowing what was surely in your future. “I guess so.”

In one smooth movement, Seunghyun got to his feet, and held out a hand to you. “Shall we?”

You took it, and nodded.

He lead you through the house, it was dimly lit by LED’s built into the ceiling. Along the walls you could only get fleeting glimpses of the artwork as you passed by. All the pieces he had were modern, abstract creations. From a room down the hall, you could hear what sounded like Seungri playing a video game, or watching a film. At the end of the hall, there was a staircase leading up to the top floor.

The entire house so far looked like an inhabitable art gallery, it was a stark contrast to the business wing of the house. The same style flowed through to the upstairs. Everywhere were white plastered walls. There were paintings on the walls, and sculptures in niches cut into the wall, on pedestals, shelves and a few big ones standing on the floor. A pair of big light wooden doors led into what must be Seunghyun's bedroom.

The minimalistic bedroom was dominated by a king-sized bed with a white bedspread, and luxurious pillows. Across from the bed was a large colourful painting. Everything was neat, almost too neat.

Seunghyun wrapped his arms around you from the back, fluttering sweet kisses down the side of your neck. “I’ve been wanting to take you here for so long.”

“Thank you,” there were so many things you wanted to thank him for, but for now, the two words would have to do. There was no way to deny to yourself any more that you were falling in love with him, even as complicated as the situation was. You let yourself be guided by your feelings and your lust, into another unforgettable night with him.

The thought hit a while later, as you were curled up against his side, head on his chest with his arm around your waist. The sweet bliss that inevitably followed sex with him filled your whole body, and you were almost dozing off. “What abut Seungri?”

“Seungri?” Seunghyun looked at you, perplexed. “What about him?”

“I’m not taking his spot or anything?” As complicated as their relationship seemed, you didn’t want to cause any added discord between them.

“Oh no,” Seunghyun shook his head, “we never sleep together.”

“But I thought?”

“We have sex sometimes, yes, but we have our own separate bedrooms. His isn’t even upstairs.”

“Oh.”

“He has his own suite and living room downstairs. We don’t really have the same aesthetic, so it would be a mess if we mixed.” Seunghyun explained. “And you know how much I like my privacy,” he added. “Could we go back to not talking about anyone else when we’re in bed now?”

“Sure.” You snuggled closer to his side, and let out a satisfied sigh.

You must have drifted off after that, because the next thing you knew, it was morning. Seunghyun was nowhere to be seen, his side of the bed was already cold, so he must have left a while ago. As you looked around, you noticed a box and a note on the side-table. The note bore the his familiar handwriting. “Something came up, have to go see to some business abroad. The box is for you. P.S please make yourself comfortable and stay as long as you wish.”

The box held, as they usually did, an outfit. This time, it was a knitted jumper, a top, and a pair of comfortable trousers, as well as underwear. Did he just have boxes of women’s clothes lying around his house? It would be very odd, bordering on creepy if he did, you thought to yourself, before you noticed the receipt lying at the bottom of the box. Upon inspection you could see that it was dated today, a couple of hours ago. Seunghyun must have gone out to get you something before he left for the airport. You smiled to yourself, for a man of mystery with trust issues, he sure was thoughtful as well.

You got dressed and headed downstairs. Because of how fast you moved through the house last night, you weren’t sure where exactly to go. You wanted some breakfast, but all you had seen was the hallway with its many doors, and rooms with too many corners.

“Over here,” the strange voice startled you a little, but you walked towards where it was coming from. Around a corner, you found the kitchen. Seungri was sitting on a high stool by a marble kitchen island. He smiled at you. He could talk! His voice was soft, yet manly. He sounded so casual, as if it was a given that he would talk, and not be silent, like the day before. The moment he saw you, he pulled up the hood of his jumper.“Hey.” The nerves from yesterday seemed to have left him.

Your jaw dropped. “You’re, I mean, you can, you talk?”

“Mhm,” he nodded. “You do hear me. Right?” He joked, but there was something serious in his eyes as well, it drove you to answer.

“I do.”

“Good.” He nodded. “I haven’t talked to anyone in ages, so I wasn’t sure.”

“Not at all? To anyone? For how long?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he shook his head. “I’ve practised by myself, when he’s not around, but other than that.” He shrugged, but it was apparent from the look in his eyes that he cared a lot more than he was letting on.

You turned to him and asked, “not even online?” You hoped Seungri would be easier to talk to than Seunghyun. If this guy is another mystery man, you thought to yourself, the pair of them are going to drain the life from me.

“Naah, seunghyun wouldn’t allow it. Hell, he barely allows me my own Xbox account.”

“That sounds very odd, why is that?” The more you found out about the relationship between them, the less you understood. It was almost as if Seunghyun was holding Seungri captive, but he wasn’t was he? As unusual as he was, you could never picture Seunghyun doing something like that. But then, there were so many things about him that you could never have imagined. You swallowed hard. “He’s not, you know. Forcing you to stay here, to stay with him, is he?”

“Do you mean is he keeping me captive?” Seungri cocked his head, for the first time he seemed genuinely intrigued with you.

“Yeah, something like that.”

He shook his head. “There are several reasons why I stay here. Firstly,” he pointed to where his cheek was hidden under the black hoodie, “I can’t let anyone see this. If it looked like something that could have happened while–” he stopped himself, “let’s just say I’m too different.” His shoulders slumped forward, and he bit his teeth together

There it was again, that hint that there may be things at play which lay beyond what could be considered normal, or even natural.

“I used to be handsome, you know.”

“You still are,” you smiled at him, “just a little busted up that’s all.” It wasn’t a lie, if you ignored the damaged part of his face, you were sure a lot of people would find him attractive.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” You didn’t think you had been doing anything out of the ordinary.

“Pity me.”

“I’m not.” You assured him. “Just trying to cheer you up is all.”

“Ok,” he forced a small smile.

“Honestly,” you were about to reach out to him, but stopped yourself. It was impossible to pinpoint a reason why he moved you like he did, even though you barely knew him.

For a moment, he looked down not answering. When he turned back to you, his face had gone back to normal, as if he had covered his hurt with a pleasant veneer. “But you were asking about why Seunghyun’s so strict.” He acted as if nothing had happened. “It’s so no one will know about me, or find me. He’s pretty paranoid, and careful about who he lets get close to us. Well, that and he’s a bit of a loner, he doesn’t like to share things with people. He has a flare for the dramatic.” Seungri smiled, “but I'm sure you’ve found out about that by now?”

“Oh have I ever,” you shook your head, “he keeps hinting at all these big secrets, but just giving me crumbs of information. Never enough for me to actually understand what’s going on.”

“Frustrating isn’t it?”

“More like infuriating,” you sighed. “He’s very good at piquing my interest, and I’d love to get to know him properly, but it’s like he’s blocking me.” Words came easily to you when you were talking to Seungri, he had a nice disarming presence, and you were sure he was happy to finally talk to someone again.

“He is,” Seungri nodded. His face was serious now. “And rightfully so. _______, you don’t want to get too close to him.”

“That’s what he keeps saying! But why is that?”

“I can’t talk about that.” Seungri shook his head. “That’s too personal, and I can’t betray him by telling you.”

“Do you think he’ll tell me eventually?”

“Not sure. He might, but I don’t think he’s ever told anyone but me and one other person. Then again, he never usually introduces anyone to me either.” He shrugged.

“He said he would explain some things.”

“That’s good,” Seungri nodded again, more thoughtful. “It probably won’t be anything you could ever expect though, so be careful.”

“Thanks for the heads up, I guess?”

“No worries.” He took a sip from his mug, the smell of black coffee wafted towards you.

“We were going to talk this evening, but then he left a note saying he had to go abroad again. For a business emergency or something.” You sighed. Would anything ever be easy about being with and working for Seunghyun?

Seungri looked at you, raised one of his eyebrows, and pressed his lips together into an unmistakeable mien of bemusement, dimples appeared on both sides of his mouth. “He’s avoiding you.”

“You think?”

“I know.” Seungri was firm in his answer.

“How?”

“As I said, he doesn’t like it when people get too close to him and his secrets. Has a thing about vulnerability that one.”Seungri shook is head. “I’m sure he’s told you that he doesn’t think you’re ready to hear the full truth yet as well?”

“He has.” The way Seungri predicted Seunghyun’s words and actions so accurately was baffling. “Do you think he doesn’t trust me?”

“I think he trusts you more than anyone else in a very long time, and it scares him.”

“So what’s the deal with him?”

“I just told you.”

“No, I mean, with all his big secrets. Are they all blown out of proportion?”

“Oh no,” Seungri shook his head. “You will be shocked, and you’ll probably not know what to do with yourself afterwards.”

“But I thought?”

“He’ll have to tell you someday, he’s just holding back, because he himself isn’t ready yet.”

“For me to know what’s going on?”

“For you to know who, and what he is.” The emphasis he put on the word _what_ sent a chill down your back.

Again, that feeling of something eerie and wrong crept up on you. You couldn’t help it, but it was hard to find a logical explanation for all this. What he was? Could Seungri mean a thief? A criminal? Even knowing all that, you hadn’t moved from Seunghyun's side for a second. What more could there be? Whatever it was, it may also be the explanation for what had happened to Seungri, how he had ended up like this. What those scars were. “Can’t you just tell me?” How could there be bigger secrets in store than Seunghyun selling missing masterpieces, and having an inexplicably strange looking room-mate with benefits? What on earth had you gotten yourself into? For the first time, you were unsure if you wanted to know everything after all, but the question still hung in the air.

“I couldn’t do that to him.” His eyes had turned sad and sincere. “As much as I hate him sometimes, I could never betray him. This is something he’ll have to tell you himself.”

“Ok,” you nodded, “I understand.” Seungri seemed very loyal to seunghyun for someone who hadn’t spoken to him in years. You wondered what the relationship between them really was. Being someone’s friend with benefits didn’t really seem like a valid reason for taking care of them, and staying with them for years on end.

“Hey,” Seungri poked your shoulder, “cheer up. We’re supposed to be having fun, remember?

“I’m sorry, I just. I’m,” you were struggling to find the right words, “there’s just so many confusing things, and the more I find out, the more intricate and convoluted it all gets.”

“It’s a bit of a mess the whole thing,” he agreed.

“It’s exhausting, is what it is.” You huffed.

“I bet!” He changed the subject. “Do you want some breakfast by the way?”

Your stomach was hollow. “That would be nice.”

Seunghyun didn’t come back the next day, or the day after. On the third day after he left, he sent you a message. “I’ll be home in a week.” Nothing more, nothing less.


End file.
